Picturing the city: young people's representations of urban environments

Abstract

Urban environments form the setting of everyday life for most Western young people. This article explores
\nvisual representations of cities made by young people in a range of environments within four countries. The
\nfindings inform a larger study on urban geographies within geography education. We analyse students’
\ndrawings of cities regarding physical characteristics, activities and issues. There are many commonalities
\nbetween drawings from the four countries, the majority showing a ‘big, busy city’ representation with
\nskylines, traffic and shopping areas. There are also distinctive characteristics for each set, for example
\nFinnish students tended to emphasise environmental and social issues more than in the other countries. In
\nrelation to methodology, we conclude that drawings, supported by contextual information, are a useful
\nsource to understand young people’s representations of cities. Further, this research supports thinking
\nabout how to merge young people’s experiences and imaginaries with the teaching of urban geography.